Tokuma got up early.
His grandfather hadn't come home yesterday. Supposedly, he'd been busy with something.
Tokuma didn't really care.
His head was completely full of one scene: after he became "hospital staff," he'd slam a fat stack of banknotes down in front of his two former teammates.
Back when I was poor, you called me trash. I didn't argue.
Now I'm hospital staff. You can't afford to look at me sideways anymore.
He splashed water on his face like he was venting his frustration.
Then, following his grandfather's rules, he wiped the corners of his mouth with a strip of pork skin.
A Hyuga who walks outside can't lose face.
Even if you've got no grease in your belly, you'd better have grease on your lips.
He carefully put the pork skin prop back into a little box, then straightened his back.
His expression hardened, his steps quick.
He had to become hospital staff.
Not to "prove a point."
But to tell those two ex-teammates that he was taking back every shred of dignity he'd lost.
He walked fast, but as he got closer, hesitation crept in.
Staring at the hospital building in front of him, he worried that applying would embarrass the Hyuga clan.
But then the few coins in his pocket clinked together, and his expression abruptly changed.
I can't even afford food, and I'm still worried about face?
He didn't line up.
Because the line was long.
Everyone was here to apply.
Rumor had it they weren't hiring many this time.
They'd stop once the hospital's headcount expanded to one hundred.
Tokuma's heart tightened.
I can't be late…
If I'm late, I lose my chance.
So he slipped inside pretending he was here to see a doctor.
He had an acquaintance. Maybe he could leverage a connection.
He reached an office and knocked three times.
Sure enough, he saw an "old familiar face."
Hyakusa's brow furrowed.
He was hospital upper management, and one of the old-timers besides the two younger guys, Yushi and the others.
Among the four old-timers, his prestige was the highest.
But having prestige didn't mean he had pull in front of Kangetsu-sama…
They'd finally gotten an "upright lord" in charge. If he played favorites and offended the wrong people, they might chase him off.
And if that happened, the entire hospital would probably beat Hyakusa to death on the spot.
Hyakusa frowned, then finally remembered who it was.
Tokuma…
"Tokuma, you're here to—"
"Cough, cough."
"To be honest, I'm here to apply for a position at the hospital."
Of course.
Here for the back door.
Hyakusa's brow knit even tighter.
Who in Konoha didn't know that ever since Kangetsu-sama took over, the hospital's pay and benefits were good enough to make people's eyes turn red?
So there were countless people trying to slip in through connections.
Hyakusa put on a polite, professional smile.
What "old familiar face"?
They'd only eaten together once.
And Tokuma had paid for his own share, damn it.
"We're all working for Konoha. I understand. All right, then. Kampo, come here."
Kampo had noticed the commotion ages ago.
He shot Tokuma a sideways look.
A mission-grubbing bum, here to beg at our hospital again?
Kampo knew exactly what Hyakusa meant. He took Tokuma with him straight to the interview area.
The moment Tokuma walked in, he felt like he'd been blinded.
Money.
So much money.
He saw it with his own eyes: a few applicants who passed were handed banknotes on the spot.
A genin got an immediate hiring benefit—10,000 ryō.
Plus three months' salary—30,000 ryō.
A chūnin got a hiring benefit—50,000 ryō.
Add three months' salary, and it came to a full 200,000 ryō.
Two hundred thousand…
Tokuma just stared.
You had to understand.
The shinobi world's currency system was similar to yen.
And the databooks even mentioned it.
One ryō was equivalent to ten yen.
So 200,000 ryō was two million yen.
How were you supposed to spend that much…
Some broke guy like Hiroshi only made two to three hundred thousand yen a month. Converted, that was only twenty to thirty thousand ryō.
And with just that, he could support a whole family.
They could even travel now and then, eat at nice hotels, and his wife could buy jewelry and luxury goods regularly.
That alone told you how absurd the hospital's pay scale was.
If you really got technical, the "banknote" exchange rate was roughly comparable to modern cash value.
If your boss walked up and handed you the equivalent of 200,000 in cash on day one, didn't demand you work yourself to death, and only asked for normal, steady work… would you be loyal?
Tokuma got so excited he grabbed Kampo's arm on impulse.
"Please, you have to let me join the hospital team!"
Kampo expressionlessly shoved his hand away.
Don't touch me. You reek of poverty.
The hospital didn't particularly want to recruit people from big clans.
Because they weren't loyal enough.
There could only be one sun in Konoha Hospital.
And that sun was Kangetsu-sama.
But people from big clans always prioritized their clan first.
That mindset was poison.
"I can serve Kangetsu-sama too! I can be loyal!"
Kampo remained expressionless and pointed toward a few applicants not far away.
A chūnin thumped his right fist to his chest, face solemn.
"I will offer my heart to Kangetsu-sama!"
Another person showed up with bags and bags of luggage, like he was moving houses.
"Don't worry! From now on, I'll eat and sleep at the hospital!"
Yet another guy wasn't anything special, but he had sense. When the interviewer reached for the teapot, he rushed in immediately.
"Leave it to me!!"
The interview scene left Tokuma gaping.
Wait.
If you're all this desperate, you're going to make me look stupid…
"I, I…"
Tokuma's face turned red as he scrambled to find a competitive advantage.
But the stacks of crisp banknotes kept hooking his gaze, tugging at his mind.
"I can… strike chakra points…"
After forcing it out for ages, he came up with a "skill" that was at least relevant to medical work.
Kampo leaned back slightly, purely out of habit.
Oh.
That's it?
Then he put on an impersonal, practiced smile.
"I understand. Please go home and wait for notification."
Tokuma didn't even know how he stumbled out.
Wait for notification?
So does that mean I have a chance, or not?
Could he still get those crisp, white hiring banknotes?
He was a chūnin. If he got in, that was 200,000 ryō.
Even the Hyuga clan at its peak would never hand that kind of benefit to an ordinary clan member.
He glanced back again.
Watching the hospital staff celebrating, Tokuma felt awful.
Konoha Hospital…
Did he still have a shot…?
A shot?
What shot?
Kangetsu raised an eyebrow as he accepted the invitation.
It was from the Hyuga clan.
He hadn't paid attention to the hospital's hiring at all. With six capable subordinates handling everything, he only needed to be the sun.
Still, he was surprised by Hiashi's decision.
So they're ready to lay it all on the table?
What was the Hyuga clan planning to do about Hinata…?
He went to the Hokage Tower to "ask for guidance," and under the Third Hokage's pointed look, he "suddenly understood."
"Kangetsu, the Hyuga clan will need you to take extra care on that side. Don't worry. If anything happens, I'll carry it for you."
It was another new moon, and the Third Hokage was grinning every day now that he had money in hand.
It's just a political marriage, right?
Marry. If the Hyuga clan married into the Hokage's faction, that alone would prove their "repentant attitude."
Why would the old man object?
But he still warned Kangetsu again and again.
Marriage is fine. Splitting money is not.
That was the Hokage's money.
The Third Hokage had heard plenty about how broke the Hyuga clan was.
After all… he was the one who'd helped push them into that position in the first place.
(End of Chapter)
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